The Sacred Set and a New Path

As the Vermilion Bird vanished from sight, Lin Shenyue composed herself and began examining the five pieces of equipment.

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**Sacred Hairpin** (Cloth Armor, Silver-tier):

Level Requirement: 10

Mana: +400

Dual Defense: +4

Intelligence: +10

Spirit: +8

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**Sacred Tunic** (Cloth Armor, Gold-tier):

Level Requirement: 10

Dual Defense: +6

Intelligence: +18

Spirit: +14

Constitution: +10

Special: Upon taking damage, you gain a shield equal to 20% of your maximum Mana for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes (This skill can be toggled on/off).

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**Sacred Skirt** (Cloth Armor, Gold-tier):

Level Requirement: 10

Dual Defense: +5

Intelligence: +16

Spirit: +15

Constitution: +8

Special: Upon taking damage, your defense increases by 100% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes (This skill can be toggled on/off).

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**Sacred Belt** (Cloth Armor, Gold-tier):

Level Requirement: 10

Health: +200

Dual Defense: +4

Intelligence: +14

Spirit: +13

Constitution: +11

Special: Upon taking damage, your skill cooldowns are reduced by 75% for 5 seconds. This does not stack with other cooldown reduction effects. Cooldown: 10 minutes (This skill can be toggled on/off).

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**Sacred Cloth Shoes** (Cloth Armor, Silver-tier):

Level Requirement: 10

Dual Defense: +3

Agility: +5

Intelligence: +10

Constitution: +5

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**Sacred Set (5/5)**:

Health: +100

Mana: +200

Intelligence: +30

Spirit: +20

Constitution: +10

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Since class sets only comprised armor, players were left to acquire all accessories and weapons independently. Fortunately, Lin Shenyue’s current weapon was quite formidable.

Though its inherent attributes were not exceptionally high, its three additional effects were nothing short of overpowered in the early game. Unless she encountered a significantly superior weapon, it would remain relevant until level 20.

After reaching level 10, the attributes of monsters surged dramatically, largely due to players achieving higher synergy after their class advancements. Correspondingly, the level 10 equipment boasted a colossal difference from what was available before.

Moreover, the class sets awarded from level 10 advancement quests were, at minimum, Iron-tier, with skilled players easily obtaining Bronze-tier items. Thus, level 10 marked a critical turning point for all players.

Lin Shenyue found herself in a dilemma regarding the two cubs left behind by the Wolf King. While the Wolf King itself was merely a Gold-tier BOSS, its offspring were quite potent in the early stages of the game.

However, these cubs required time to mature. Furthermore, in the future, a high-tier BOSS pet would significantly enhance combat prowess, rendering the Wolf King cubs somewhat inadequate.

Meanwhile, Ye Jue had also completed his class advancement quest. He had chosen to become a Shield Warrior, deviating from his previous life’s path as a Berserker, a decision born from his own strategic considerations.

His quest evaluation also resulted in an S-rank. Unlike Lin Shenyue’s, his task involved rescuing warriors and villagers held captive by bandits.

The difficulty of saving people from a group of level 12 bandits, further complicated by three level 15 BOSSes, was immense. Even with Ye Jue’s meticulous planning, he barely managed to save the villagers, and the warrior perished while covering their retreat.

Despite this, the system still awarded him an S-rank. He surmised that a flawless rescue, bringing back every person, would likely yield an SS-rank. Eliminating all bandits without a single casualty among the prisoners would earn an SSS-rank.

However, achieving such a feat was practically impossible. Although the monsters in class advancement quests were somewhat weakened compared to those outside, the sheer numerical and attribute advantage made it nearly impossible to defeat them all. Ye Jue’s victory was solely due to his cunning strategies.

Class advancement quest ratings were not publicly announced, but a ranking system existed. A high rank offered discounts on learning skills from mentors and could even trigger additional quests. The ranking was hidden by default, but players could choose to reveal it through their mentor.

Ye Jue understood that the first major update was imminent. Typically, a few hours after the first player reached the main city, once a certain number of players had arrived, the initial update would commence, simultaneously launching the first expansion pack.

This update optimized various game features, notably adding skill proficiency to abilities and enriching the character attribute panel. It also introduced leaderboards, fueling player competition and firmly establishing the game’s dominant position.

He checked his private messages. Just then, Lin Shenyue sent him a message, informing him that she had finished her tasks. Ye Jue then set off towards the temple.

Upon arriving at the temple, Ye Jue found Lin Shenyue holding the two cubs, a conflicted expression on her face. He couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

“What should I do with these two cubs?” Lin Shenyue asked. “They’re offspring of a Gold-tier BOSS. It seems a shame to simply release them.”

Ye Jue pondered for a moment. “That’s simple,” he replied. “While pets like these will become common later, they’re still quite rare now. We can auction them off. Plenty of wealthy players will be eager to buy them.”

What Ye Jue didn’t mention was that Divine Realm restricted the number of pets a player could have: one before level 30, two between level 30 and 100, and a maximum of three after level 100. Therefore, choosing the right pets was crucial.

Lin Shenyue nodded after hearing his suggestion. “Shall we go to the auction house now, then?”

“Yes,” Ye Jue agreed. “After we list them, we’ll focus on the main quest. The sooner we complete it, the better. We don’t have much else to do right now, and the experience gains at level 10 are substantial, so leveling up won’t happen overnight. Let’s turn in the quest first, then see what the next stage entails.”

Lin Shenyue agreed. Ye Jue, familiar with the city’s layout, led her towards the city’s teleportation array.

The City Lord’s Mansion, a quintessential Eastern palace-style edifice, stood at the heart of Vermilion Bird City. The teleportation array where players first arrived was situated in the city’s south.

This southern district also housed the class mentors and resurrection points, ensuring players could promptly complete their class advancements and bind their resurrection points upon arrival. This area was the smallest, reflecting the initial player population.

The western part of Vermilion Bird City was the commercial district, while the NPC-operated hotels and shops were located in the north. The eastern section served as the residential area, where NPC homes and future player residences would be found.

The western side, on the other hand, was dedicated to the trade market, including the auction house and future player stalls.

Given Vermilion Bird City’s vast area of nearly 100,000 square kilometers, traversing it solely on foot would take an inordinate amount of time (mounts were prohibited within the main city). To mitigate this, numerous small teleportation arrays were scattered throughout the city, allowing players to reach their desired destinations with ease.

The cost of using these teleportation arrays was negligible, merely 50 copper per transfer, significantly streamlining player travel.

Ye Jue guided Lin Shenyue into a teleportation array. After paying 1 silver, they first warped to the auction house. He listed the cubs with a starting bid of 10 gold and a 24-hour auction duration.

Once that was done, they teleported to the city center. A mere minute’s walk brought them to the front of the City Lord’s Mansion.

Two guards at the mansion’s entrance immediately challenged Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue. “What are you doing here? Leave the City Lord’s Mansion premises at once!”

Ye Jue stepped forward, handing the letter from the Village Chief to one of the guards. “I was entrusted to deliver this letter to the City Lord.”

The guard’s expression turned serious as he examined the letter. He carefully put it away. “Wait here,” he instructed, then activated a teleportation array and vanished from the entrance.

Only a few dozen seconds later, the guard reappeared. He looked at Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue. “You may enter. The City Lord wishes to see you.”

He then gestured towards the ground. Lin Shenyue noticed another small teleportation array. The City Lord’s Mansion was indeed vast, and navigating it without such arrays would be quite cumbersome.

Once Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue stepped onto the array, the guard promptly teleported them directly in front of the City Lord’s study.

The City Lord’s study was immense, roughly ten times the size of a real-world university library. It served not only as a repository for books but also as the City Lord’s office.

The moment they arrived, a commanding voice emanated from within: “Are those the two adventurers? Come in directly.”

The massive doors slowly opened, and Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue stepped inside.

The study’s decor was rather modest, devoid of any opulent embellishments. In the center of the spacious hall stood a middle-aged man. He turned to face the two, his expression solemn. “The Village Chief’s letter has informed me of the events in the village.”

“I hadn’t realized the demon race’s reach extended so far. It seems not only your village, but others as well, have been targeted by their schemes. However, I am currently preoccupied, so I ask that you proceed to the Mage Guild and deliver this letter to the Guild Master. He will understand what needs to be done.”

After Lin Shenyue stepped forward and received the letter, she heard a system prompt:

“Congratulations on completing the quest: Deliver Information. You have gained 13,000 (11,000) experience points and 2 gold coins.”

Upon seeing Lin Shenyue accept the envelope, the City Lord promptly urged, “Hurry now, or you’ll run out of time!” With a wave of his hand, he instantly teleported Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue outside the City Lord’s Mansion gates.

Lin Shenyue looked at the City Lord’s guards, who were no longer as indifferent as before and did not attempt to drive them away. She glanced at Ye Jue and asked, “Shall we head back?”

Ye Jue nodded, leading Lin Shenyue towards the teleportation array.